Context: India has joined the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance.

Significance:

India’s joining the league is a critical first step towards accelerating global best practices, fostering greater openness and public trust as well as mitigating risks regarding the collection of data in public spaces.

What is it?

• It is a league of 15 of world’s leading city networks and technology governance organisations that will work towards advancing responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies.
• Established in June 2019, in conjunction with G20 Summit held in Osaka, Japan.
• It seeks to create global norms and policy standards for the use of connected devices in public spaces.
• The aim of the alliance is to promote the responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies by establishing global norms and policy standards for the use of connected devices in public spaces.

The Global Smart Cities Alliance’s founding set of institutional partners include the presidents and host nations of the Group of 20 (G20) in 2019 and 2020; Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; the Smart City Mission of India; Cities for All; Cities Today Institute; Commonwealth Local Government Forum; Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Network among others. 

Towards a global policy:

The Alliance has committed to co-design and roll out a first-of-its-kind global policy framework on smart city technologies in advance of the 2020 G20 Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is currently accepting nominations from cities interested in piloting and contributing to global policy standards.

Need for and significance of the alliance:

• Smart city technologies can help cut decrease traffic congestions, combat crime, improve resilience during natural disasters and reduce greenhouse emissions.
• Without the proper governance, these technologies pose significant risk, notably to privacy and security.
• To ensure data collected in public places is used safely and ethically, the Alliance will develop, pilot collectively implement new global policy standards.